classless innisfil parents

Today I was timekeeping a game in the Caledon tournament, in which some of my family members are helping organize. I was timekeeping a bantam game between Innisfil and Bramton 2. During the game, some of the Innisfil parents decided it would be a good idea to question my intelligence, and lacrosse experience. I for one am disgusted that 40+ year old "adults" would treat a 16 year old volunteer in this fashion. The fact is that I was at this game trying my best to do both the main scoreboard and the gamesheet, and was struggling, which i think should be understandable since I'm used to being on the other side of the boards on the floor. Ironically, the reason I was struggling was because the innisfil players were packing the box with dumb penalty after dumb penalty (including the goalie). Also, odds are I have been involved in lacrosse (either on my own or through family) longer than some of these parents' kids have been alive. So maybe next time when these parents decide they should start chirping at a young kid working in a tournament for community service hours, they will think twice and keep their idiotic mouthes shut and keep their ignorant comments to themselves. If I was in a different state of mind, this situation could've gotten even more embarrassing for these parents if I had gotten the refs or tournament officials involved.

Today I was timekeeping a game in the Caledon tournament, in which some of my family members are helping organize. I was timekeeping a bantam game between Innisfil and Bramton 2. During the game, some of the Innisfil parents decided it would be a good idea to question my intelligence, and lacrosse experience. I for one am disgusted that 40+ year old "adults" would treat a 16 year old volunteer in this fashion. The fact is that I was at this game trying my best to do both the main scoreboard and the gamesheet, and was struggling, which i think should be understandable since I'm used to being on the other side of the boards on the floor. Ironically, the reason I was struggling was because the innisfil players were packing the box with dumb penalty after dumb penalty (including the goalie). Also, odds are I have been involved in lacrosse (either on my own or through family) longer than some of these parents' kids have been alive. So maybe next time when these parents decide they should start chirping at a young kid working in a tournament for community service hours, they will think twice and keep their idiotic mouthes shut and keep their ignorant comments to themselves. If I was in a different state of mind, this situation could've gotten even more embarrassing for these parents if I had gotten the refs or tournament officials involved.

Sincerely,

Volunteer

As an objective bystander to this game it looked to me like the parents were only trying deliver a message the refs were unable to get through, after the refs yelled reset a couple of times, they continued and the shot clock was not reset. When they yelled at you to reset, I'm sure were feeling their frustration for the "dumb" penalties you are referring to.

Everyone is entitled to a learning curve, but perhaps a Tournament is not the right place. At one point I counted 4 people in the time keepers box; I"m not sure if everyone in there was new to this role or were simply dissorganized. At each penalty the ref stood in front of the time keepers box and provided the number of the individual being penalized, the reason and the duration. In my experience as a time keeper, there appeared to be enough people in the timekeepers box as well as time before the next whistle to document the information, put the penalty on the board and return attention to the game. I watched on several occasions where all people in the box were talking to each other and looking at papers instead of paying attention to the floor and the ref's direction to reset the shot clock.

Thank you for volunteering. I would like to echo Thomas comments, without volunteers, these tournaments would not run as smoothly as they do.

Today I was timekeeping a game in the Caledon tournament, in which some of my family members are helping organize. I was timekeeping a bantam game between Innisfil and Bramton 2. During the game, some of the Innisfil parents decided it would be a good idea to question my intelligence, and lacrosse experience. I for one am disgusted that 40+ year old "adults" would treat a 16 year old volunteer in this fashion. The fact is that I was at this game trying my best to do both the main scoreboard and the gamesheet, and was struggling, which i think should be understandable since I'm used to being on the other side of the boards on the floor. Ironically, the reason I was struggling was because the innisfil players were packing the box with dumb penalty after dumb penalty (including the goalie). Also, odds are I have been involved in lacrosse (either on my own or through family) longer than some of these parents' kids have been alive. So maybe next time when these parents decide they should start chirping at a young kid working in a tournament for community service hours, they will think twice and keep their idiotic mouthes shut and keep their ignorant comments to themselves. If I was in a different state of mind, this situation could've gotten even more embarrassing for these parents if I had gotten the refs or tournament officials involved.

Sincerely,

Volunteer

If the Caledon-Vaughan club is using 16 yr old volunteers for its minor officials it might want to rethink that one. Timekeepers get paid to do a job and are expected to do it right. Yes a lot of them are young kids and that's great - seriously, that is a good thing. Most of them have worked at the House League level for a few years and the better ones make their way up to doing tournaments. That's the way it works with most clubs. If Caledon-Vaughan expected a volunteer to handle both the timekeeping and the scoresheet in a Bantam game well maybe that's the parent group that should be the subject of this thread.

I got the impression from your posting that you are new to the job. If your "state of mind" told you to grin and bear it during the game then unload on a website and slam the "classless" Innisfil parents in doing it, son you might want to stick to playing the game and just leave it at that.

Can you tell me what organization doesn't use a 16 yr old volunteer in tournaments??? Do we now need to have only adults running clocks? I've run tournaments for another organization. If I had to depend on only parents to volunteer there would be no tournaments. Kids are an integral part of the volunteer core ... as refs, running clocks, etc.

I'm familiar with this situation in particular but not from Caledon Vaughan or Inisfil. The 16 yr old in question has run many clocks before and is a sr Midget player. He's is more than qualified for a Bantam game. He wasn't running the shot clock ... only the main clock ... so your comments on the shot clock resets are off the mark. The extra people you refer to in the box came in after the parents got out of control yelling over the railing at the refs and timekeepers (and I believe after a number had been asked to excuse themselves by the refs). I don't blame him for his frustration.

I've been to many tournaments and games where those running the shot clocks were younger than the players on the floor. I agree that is not a good situation. That wasn't this situation however.

This is just another example of bad parental behaviour. Can you imagine any situation where you would think it is acceptable adult behaviour for a 40 yr old to be screaming at a 16 yr old volunteer. If that was your kid volunteering, what would your reaction be? Would you think it was justified or would you hope that, if someone found the kid's performance so unacceptable, that he would go down and help?

I find it interesting that I subsequently heard (but didn't witness) that parents from the same organization were involved in an incident where the OPP had to be called.

I do wish he hadn't "unloaded" in a forum and called the parents classless but from from my vantage point, his behaviour is more justified than the parents.

You seem to be rolling various people's posts in to one. Read what I said ... "Yes a lot of them are young kids and that's great". All clubs use kids and as far as I know most of them get paid for their efforts. If you want "volunteers" to the job (parents included) you get what you pay for.

If you want to bring up things you heard but didn't witness go ahead but please don't bring the OPP into it. You might also want to read below about what "yardsehl" has to say about other "classless" people he has run up against. Here it is to save you the time ...

"The reason y noone will play u is plain and simple, ur a team of classless ****s. You started a bunch of crap last year with halton, and put on a gutless show infront of a classy brampton team after the final game. by the way, everyone from the spartans act like winning the championship last year is the greatest achievement in the world. The fact is, you won the INTERMEDIATE championship. Almost anyone you talk to would rather win a midget, bantam, or peewee championship than an intermediate one. When push comes to shove, the Spartans are an insignificant speck in the lacrosse world."

I agree that yarsehls previus posts may be out of context. But speaking of bringing up things u didnt witness, u just did that with the Spartan-Brampton game. If you must no i was the volunteer during that game and my older brother (yardsehl) made the post for me so i wouldnt have to create an account but now i feel its neccessary. Any one who has met both me and my brother understands that we are infact very different people and have different personalities, im sure if i wasnt over his shoulder while he made the post it would have been more insulting. Also at one point during the game i turned to the parents and offered the position of timekeeper/score sheet to one of the parents screaming. I felt the parents seemed rather silent after this incident. I will say i did timekeep another Innisfil game today and had no problems, thanks for understanding.

"volunteer, yardsehl, brother, longlivelax" ... I've lost track of who's who. If I could give you guys any kind of advice it would be to IGNORE THE FANS. Players, referees, minor officials, coaches and trainers all know that they are the only ones that count in the outcome of a game. If we do our jobs right what goes on in the stands stays there. The only ones that can speak to the fans are the referees and I am constantly amazed with what they put up with.

You seem to be rolling various people's posts in to one. Read what I said ... "Yes a lot of them are young kids and that's great". All clubs use kids and as far as I know most of them get paid for their efforts. If you want "volunteers" to the job (parents included) you get what you pay for.

If you want to bring up things you heard but didn't witness go ahead but please don't bring the OPP into it. You might also want to read below about what "yardsehl" has to say about other "classless" people he has run up against. Here it is to save you the time ...

"The reason y noone will play u is plain and simple, ur a team of classless ****s. You started a bunch of crap last year with halton, and put on a gutless show infront of a classy brampton team after the final game. by the way, everyone from the spartans act like winning the championship last year is the greatest achievement in the world. The fact is, you won the INTERMEDIATE championship. Almost anyone you talk to would rather win a midget, bantam, or peewee championship than an intermediate one. When push comes to shove, the Spartans are an insignificant speck in the lacrosse world."

Sorry "yardsehl", I don't buy your "poor me" nonsense.

Hmmm ... are you trying to justify yelling at a kid volunteer by saying, "yes, a lot of them are kids and that's great"?

Let's return to the original discussion. Your view is "If you want "volunteers" to the job (parents included) you get what you pay for." I don't get it ... do you think if this kid had received the normal $5 stipend it would have made a difference? Would he have performed better? Would it mean that parents are now allowed to yell at him? Let's not change the subject.

Your posts suggests the kid is to blame for this unfortunate incident. To quote you,
"If your "state of mind" told you to grin and bear it during the game then unload on a website and slam the "classless" Innisfil parents in doing it, son you might want to stick to playing the game and just leave it at that." You are basically saying ... you're a volunteer doing a paid job ... you were not qualified ... if you can't take it, quit volunteering. Bizarre point of view pal.

What this kid should have done was stop the clock, ask the ref to come over and have the parent harassing him removed. Based on your attempt to justify this parental behaviour, I'm guessing you would have been the adult that missed the rest of the game.